There are few franchises in gaming which have been as enduring as Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors series. The series combination of historical fiction and hack-and-slash gameplay has become a staple of every console generation, and is finding its way into other well known franchises like The Legend of Zelda. It will next make its debut on next-gen hardware with its latest expansion for Dynasty Warriors 9 set to release in early 2022.
Dynasty Warriors made its debut on the original PlayStation in 1997, originally as a fighting game featuring historical figures from China's Three Kingdoms era from 220 to 280 AD. Its 2000 sequel introduced the hack and slash combat which became synonymous with the series, emphasizing crowd combat and epic abilities for players to enjoy. The series' popularity would lead to various spin-offs taking the series gameplay to other historical eras or media franchises, such as the Warring States period of Japan or the popular mecha-anime franchise Gundam.
The series is set to make its PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S debuts on February 15, 2022 with Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires. An expansion to 2018's Dynasty Warriors 9, Empires is a more strategy-focused experience asking players to unite China using a combination of combat and diplomacy. Koei Tecmo gave players a first taste of what's to come in the expansion with a trailer confirming the February release.
As mentioned, players will need to take a more strategic approach to defeating their opponents in Dynasty Warrios 9Empires. Koei Tecmo teased what this would involve, such as forming alliances and building relationships with key figures populating the world so players can secure their own power and spread their influence before taking to the battlefield. It appears this will be reflected in the player's fortresses as they are built up over time.
Players will then be tasked with besieging enemy fortresses once they head into contact. ThIs portion is the familiar gameplay loop for Warriors players as they will be tasked with defeating hordes of enemies and taking territory to secure their foothold. Castles will be the focal point of most battles, forcing players to rely on siege devices like trebuchets, battering rams, and siege towers if they hope to be victorious.
A personal touch can also be given to the player's character with the game's character editor. Players can change everything on their character from the face, body, fair, and armor available to create their ideal warrior to manuever the battlefield and throne rooms with.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires is scheduled to release on February 15, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
